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Family bakers 'toast' community retailers

A North East shop which has been at the heart of its community for over 26 years, has been officially recognised by Warburtons, the family baker with a special award.

Eagletons Convenience Store in South Shields was the winner of the 'Community Retailer of the Year Award' category in the family bakers annual community awards scheme, run in partnership with The Independent Retail News.

The awards are designed to celebrate and highlight retailers across the nation which strive to provide exceptional levels of service in their local communities.

Judges were so impressed by the standard of service offered at Eagletons and its dedication to local people, that it was also crowned the overall winner and scooped the £1,000 prize after fighting off stiff competition from entrants nationwide.

The convenience store also operates a Post Office which opened three years ago and is run by Lynn Eagleton, a former accountant who, along with her family, decided to 'set up shop' where a commitment to quality products and excellent customer service was key.

The family team at Eagletons' dedication to serving their community is certainly not to be underestimated! They have taken customer service to a whole new level. Lynn has been known to hand deliver shopping to elderly neighbours who have been feeling unwell or are unable to travel in poor weather conditions. She's even come to the rescue to help local people cook up their Christmas Dinner after a series of kitchen disasters left one family with no Turkey on Christmas Day!

Lynn, who has been a Warburtons customer for over 20 years, was thrilled to receive the recognition for her family business, which in other years has employed her mother, father and sister.

She said: "We are a convenience store and we always put our customers first. Our aim has always been to offer a helpful hand and a friendly face in a clean and pleasant retail environment.

"We were absolutely thrilled to be considered for the Warburtons Community Award and even more over-joyed when we won not only our category but the overall prize! We truly believe in having a real sense of community spirit and always try to treat people how we would want to be treated which I think is the key to our success."

The store currently employs nine members of staff, many of whom had been unemployed for a number of years and live locally.

Eagleton's has also worked hard over a number of years to tackle anti-social behaviour issues in the area by working closely with local Police to help create a safer neighbourhood for residents. Lynn was also recognised in the Pride of South Tyneside Awards last year for her work in the community.

Steve Lowther, distribution manager at Warburtons Newburn Bakery in Newcastle has a long working-relationship with Lynn and her family since he first visited the store 20 years ago.

He said: "Eagletons is such a big part of the local community and has really stood the test of time. The business is thriving and constantly adapts to meet the needs of its customers.

"I still remember walking into the store for the first time, trying to encourage Lynn to try our products and am thrilled that she's still a very loyal customer two decades later. I'd like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to Lynn and everyone at Eagletons for all of their hard work!"